Index

vii. - Agreement on cooperation between the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the interparliamentary
Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (9 June 1997)

In view of common concern for the respect
of pluralistic parliamentary democracy, the rule of law and human
rights and in order to promote the parliamentary dialogue, the President
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the one
hand and the President of the Council of the Interparliamentary
Assembly of the Commonwealth
of Independent States on the other, have agreed on the following:

— agendas for the
plenary sessions shall be exchanged and each Assembly shall invite
the other to attend these sessions by sending one or more representatives.
The President of one Assembly may address the other on special occasions;

— the Presidents
of the two Assemblies or their representatives shall be invited
to conferences and other events organised by the other whenever
issues which are of interest to both parties are to be examined;

— committees of
both Assemblies will cooperate in a pragmatic manner by exchanging
relevant documents and, where appropriate, by inviting – on the
authorization of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe and of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the
Commonwealth of Independent States – the chairmen or the rapporteurs
of the relevant committees in order to exchange views on matters
which are of common interest;

— the two Assemblies
will exchange documentation, including reports and adopted texts
on a regular basis to ensure that both Assemblies are fully informed
of their respective activities;

— joint meetings
of delegations from the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe and the Council of the Interparliamentary
Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States may be held whenever
appropriate;

— the Clerk (Secretary
General) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and
the Secretary General of the Council of Interparliamentary Assembly
of the Commonwealth of Independent States or their representatives
will meet for consultations or exchanges of views at suitable occasions
to discuss matters of common interest.